Device for vacuum sealing containers



SePt- 3, 1946. I E. B. HUGHES l 2,406,771

I DEVICE FOR VACUUM SEALING CONTAINERS Fiied AugQ 19. 1944 Patented Sept. 3, 1946 2,406,771 K DEVICE Forw VACUUM SEALING CONTAINERS f Edward B. Hughes, Evansville, Ind., assigner to Bernardin Bottle Cap Co., Inc., Evansville, Ind.,

a corporation of Indiana Application August 19, 1944 Serial No. 550,177v

Claims. 1

The` invention relates to devices for vacuum sealing containers provided` with screw-caps.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple devicev for expeditiously vacuum sealing containers provided with. screw-caps.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and ecient portable manually operable device for vacuum sealing containers.

Other objects of the invention will appearfrom the detailed description,`

The inventionY consists in the Several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims atthe conclusion hereof.

In, the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of a` device embodying the invention', parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on lineV 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section. taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l..

Eig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the chuck for gripping the screw cap for rotation on the container.

The device comprises an inverted cup-shaped housing 6Y in which is formed a chamber 8, the lower endl of which is open to receive the. container to besealed., Thelower end of the housing is provided with an elastic annulus or ring, 1, for example oi softv rubber, and, when the housing is manually pressed downwardly and is seated onto the container, the chamber 8 in the housing will be seated to prevent the admissionl of air tothe chamber 8' when the latter is vacuumized. In l vacuum sealing jars a, provided with a screw-cap b the cap is loosely placed or partially screwed Cil onto the neck of the lled container or jar to permit air to be exhaustedfrom the Yjar through the cap. rllhe housing 6' is pressed tightly onto the jar so thatl the ring 'l' will form a seal between the housing and the jar.` The housing E comprises-a tcp 6a, and a depending cylindrical portion 6U, and is formed with an integral upward tubular' extension' 9. A cylindrical stem. l!! is slida'bly'nounted' in a bushing Il which is fixed in' extension 9 andzis slidable and rotatable relatively to the housin'g'in said bushing. A packing ringV l2 is held4 in* the extension 9 by. a gland I3 which is screw-threaded into the inner faceY of the top l-ai of the housing 6" to for-m an air-seal between` the stem l0 andthe housing. Gland I3 is Provided with lugs M" whereby it may b e rotated to compress thev packing l2 from the inside offthehousi'ng.

A chuckfor engaging. the-cap for. rotatingk it onto the jar while the chamber 8 isunder vacuum comprises al body' |51 and an integral depending annular rim i6, the inner periphery of which is tapered upwardly and provided with teeth Il which, when pressed into engagementr with the cap, are adapted upon rotation of. the chuck to rotate the cap br into sealed relation with the jar a. The chuck. is screw-threaded', as at I1., tothe lower end of stem III which is provided'A with a shoulder I8' engaged bythe body of the chuck so that it can be interchanged with chucks of 'different sizes or shapes. 'I'he toothed downwardly flared inner periphery of the rim I6 adapts the chuck for gripping caps 0f somewhat varying diameters.

Ther stem lil' and chuck are normally pressed upwardly by a coil spring I-9 interposed between the upper end of extension: 53` and a hand wheel 28 xedly secured tothe upper end" of stem l0'. HandV whe'el- 2liA is adapted for manual depression and. slidablyshifting the stem I!! andl the chuck downwardly toY force thek teeth I'l' into engage'- ment with the cap b on the jarl a and also for rotation of the stern t0 for turning thev chuck to c rotate the cap onto the jar.

The chuck is adapted to control the application of vacuum to chamber 3. The spring l9normally holds the upper face of the body I5 of the chuck seated: against an elastic ring 2 If which is secured to a nipple 22 which is screw-threaded into the top wall of the housing. A vacuum connection comprises a rigid pipe-section 23 whichv is connected by a flexible pipe 24 to a vacuum tank or other suitable source of vacuum. Pipe 23 is communica-tively connected with the chamber 8 for vacuumizing chamber 8 by an angular duct 25 formed inA the top of the housing. The vertical branch of duct 25 extends through nipple 22 and the elastic washer 2|. The duct 25 is normally closed by the engagement of the top face of chuck body l5 with the annular washer 2| so that while the chuck is in itsv normal or raised position the vacuum will be cut ofi from chamber 8..V The chuck is held rmly seated against. washer 2l to prevent leakage into the duct 25 by the upward force exerted by spring. I9; The rigid pipe section 23 is adapted to be gripped'by one hand of the operator while the other han-d grips the hand wheel 20' for conveniently manipulating the housing into and out off operative relation with the jar a and. during the vacuumizing operations.

The chamber 8, `when the Vacuumis cut oi by the chuck and while the housing has been pressed into sealed relation with the bod-y of the jar, is open to atmosphere through a.f centralV ducty 2B in thestem t0: and cross ducts 27 communicating with duct 26 and atmosphere when the stem l0 is in its raised position. This connection to atmosphere is closed during the initial downward movement of the chuck l5, stem l) and handwheel 20 when ducts 2'! pass into the extension 9 of the housing and is automatically opened when the chuck is raised against ring 2l.

An upwardly facing vacuum gauge 29 is supported on the housing E and is communicatively connected by a hollow stem or pipe-section 35i with the chamber 8 for indicating the vacuum pressure in said chamber. This gauge is disposed at one side of the housing where it can be easily read during the vacuumizing operations.

The operation of the device will be as follows: The operator, by gripping pipe-section 23 and hand-wheel 2l), places the housing li around the neck of the jar a. so that the elastic ring 'i will be seated on the jar-body below the neck. The hand-wheel 2s will be depressed against the force of spring i9 which will, through stern lEi, lower the chuck and initially close the cross-ports 2l to cut off communication between chamber 8 and atmosphere and simultaneously depress the chuck to connect the vacuum-duct 25 to chamber 8 as the chuck 'moves away from its seat on elastic ring 2|. The chamber 8 will then be vacuumized. The jar a will also be vacuumized through the loose connection between the cap b and the jar. As the chamber 8 is vacuumized the degree of vacuum will be indicated by the gauge 29. When the vacuum has increased to the degree desired, as indicated by gauge 29, the operator will rotate the hand-wheel 20 which, through stem IB, will rotate thevchuck I5 while its teeth ll are pressed against the cap b until the cap is firmly Seated and sealed on the jar a. The operator will then release the hand-wheel 2t and the spring I9 will lift the chuck off the cap and automatically close the vacuum duct 25. As the chuck approaches its seated position on the elastic ring 2l, ports 2l in stem Il! will be opened to atmosphere to break the vacuum in the chamber 8. The device can then be readily lifted ofi' the sealed jar. The upper face of chuck I5 and the elastic seat 2| in the housing exemplify valve-means which is operable by the chuck for controlling the suction connection between chamber 8 and duct 25 for vacuumizing the container before the screwcap is sealed thereon. The duct 26 in stem lil and cross-ports 21 exemplify valve-means operable by the handle 20 and stem Il) which operate the chuck for connecting chamber to atmosphere when the vacuum connection is closed to release the housing for removal from the container. The spring IS exemplifies spring-means for automatically shifting the valve-means for controlling the vacuum and the valve-means for admitting atmospheric air to chamber 8 when the handle 2Q is released at the end of each vacuumizing operation. The construction described makes it possible to expedite the vacuumizing operations.

The invention exemplifies a manually operable portable vacuum sealing device which is simple in construction and eiicient in operation. The device can be easily and quickly manipulated onto and oi the jar and the cap secured onto the jar while the jar is under vacuum. The release of the hand-wheel automatically cuts off the vacuum from the chamber in which the upper portion of the jar is coni-ined and also opens said chamber to atmosphere.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modiiied within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for sealing a screw-cap container having a reduced threaded neck and a shoulder beneath the neck, the combination of a portable inverted cup-shaped housing provided with a chamber adapted to receive the neck with a cap thereon, and means for sealing the housing on the shoulder, a chuck in said chamber for gripping, for rotation, a screw-cap on the container while said chamber is under vacuum, a stem on the chuck extending upwardly through and slidable and rotatable in the top of the housing, a handle on the stem whereby the chuck may be slidably shifted and rotated, a vacuum duct in the housing for vacuumizing said chamber and container, a nipple at the terminal of the vacuum duct at said chamber, an elastic seat on said nipple and engageable by the raised chuck for cutting off Vacuum from said chamber, springmeans for pressing the chuck into raised position, and a duct in the stem communicatively connected to said chamber and to atmosphere and positioned to be closed by the housing when the chuck is depressed to vacuumize said chamber.

2. In a device for sealing a screw-cap container having a reduced threaded neck and a shoulder beneath the neck, the combination of a portable cup-shaped housing provided with a chamber adapted to receive the neck with a cap thereon, and means for sealing the housing on the shoulder, a chuck in said chamber for gripping a screw-cap for rotation on the container while said chamber is under vacuum, a stem on the chuck extending upwardly through and slidable and rotatable in the top of the housing, a handle on the stem whereby the chuck may be slidably shifted and rotated, a vacuum duct in the housing having a terminal at the chamber adapted for closure by the raised chuck, spring-means for pressing the chuck, stem and handle into raised position and closing said terminal by the chuck, and a central longitudinal duct in the stem communicatively connected to said chamber and cross-ports communicatively connected to atmosphere and positioned immediately above the top of the housing for closure by the housing when the chuck is depressed to vacuumize said chamber.

3. In a device for sealing a screw-cap container having a reduced threaded neck and a shoulder'beneath the neck, the combination of a portable inverted cup-shaped housing provided with a chamber adapted to receive the neck with a cap thereon and means for sealing the housing on the shoulder of the container; a chuck in the chamber for engaging and gripping the cap for rotation on the neck; a stem rigid with the chuck and slidably and rotatably mounted in the top of the housing, manually operable handle f .on the stem for slidably shifting and rotating the chuck; a vacuum line connected to the housing for exhausting air from the chamber and the container, and valve-means, operable by the movement of the chuck and stem, for controlling the vacuum in and the iiow of atmospheric air to and `from said chamber.

4. In a device for sealing a screw-cap container having a reduced threaded neck and a shoulder beneath the neck, the combination of a portable inverted cup-shaped housing provided with a chamber adapted to `receive the neck with a cap thereon and means for sealing the housing on the shoulder of the container; a chuck in the chamber for engaging and gripping the cap for rotation on the neck; a stem rigid with the chuck and slidably and rotatably mounted in the top of the housing, a manually operable handle on the stem for slidably shifting and rotating the chuck; spring-means for retracting the stem and chuck; a vacuum line connected to the housing for exhausting air from the chamber and the container; and valve-means, operable by the movement of the chuck and stem, for exhausting air from, and the oW of atmospheric air to and from said chamber, said spring-means being adapted to retract the chuck, handle and stem, and operate the valve-means to cut off the vacuum from and to admit air into said chamber.

5. In a device for sealing a screw-cap container having a reduced threaded neck and a shoulder beneath the neck, the combination of a portable inverted cup-shaped housing provided with a chamber adapted to receive the neck with a cap thereon and means for sealing the housing on the shoulder of the container; a chuck in the chamber for engaging and gripping the cap for rotation on the neck; a stem rigid with the chuck and slidably and rotatably mounted in the housing and provided with a duct through which air can flow into the cham-ber; a manually operable handle on the upper end of the stem; a spring for retracting the stem and chuck; a vacuum line connected to the housing for exhausting air from the chamber and the container; valve-means, operable by the movement of the chuck and between the chuck and the housing for controlling the vacuum line to said chamber; and means between the stem and the housing controlled by the movement of the stem for controlling the flow of air through said duct to 20 and from said chamber.

EDWARD B. HUGHES. 

